A Chase For Freedom
by YagamiNeko
Summary: Out of all the craziness, one simple word kept coming back; why? Basically my very first story, so please be nice! Put here because the book it was written for is not on the site ... yet. Please R&R!


**(A/N) Okay,** **so. This is my first Fanfic based on the book, One Chance. I don't know if anyone will be particularly interested in this story, since there has yet to be a section for it, but, hey, I'm giving it a try. Dedicated to my bud, Ai0kami, because you helped and encouraged me to continue, you helped me out with this title …. and because it reminds you of L. ;) Also, just to let you know, italics are either thoughts from the character(s) or memories. Enjoy!**

**Disclaimer: I do not own any of the characters of **_**One Chance**_** except for Noelle.**

Chapter 1: How It Came To Be

~ Noelle ~

I scratched my arm absently as I stared at the ceiling above my head. The darkness made it impossible to see anything in the small room I shared with seven other girls, so I simply stared up. I hated not being able to see anything. It was a reminder of how I had been feeling lately; fear, loneliness.

I had to bite down hard on my quivering lip to keep the tears from coming. It seems like it was so long ago since I had seen the faces of the ones I love. One face in particular was carved into my mind; coal black hair, pale skin that had hardly ever been out in the suns rays, and those piercing eyes. Eyes that had no emotion. Black and deep. This was a face that he knew well. He had been there for me my whole life. Whenever I was scared or need someone to talk to about my troubles, he would carefully listen to my words and take me in close as I cried. He understood me, and knew exactly what it took to wipe away the tears that streaked my small, delicate face. It was difficult to give into the fact that he wasn't there 24-7, much like he had my whole life. I knew I probably wouldn't be able to see him for a while, and it broke my heart. He was everything to me.

As my eyes became accustomed to seeing in the dark, I turned my head and glanced at each of my sleeping roommates. Many fall asleep early, while I stay up for an hour afterwards. As I watch their figures slowly rising and lowering with each breath, I listened closely to the familiar sounds of war outside our campus. Soldiers were shouting loudly to each other, explosions that could take out an entire town, and the small army planes flying low in order to take out the enemy. This war had just started, and I feared it would be a long one.

_My mama has sent me here for the duration of the war. She said I would be even safer and more protected here than at home. I disagreed, and went into a long rant of how Jaq would keep me safe, but as I looked at his petit figure leaning against the door frame, he looked down and did not speak. _

"_Noelle!!" My mother hastily cut me off, a look of frustration covering her older face. _

_I faced my mama again, shutting my eyes tightly, for fear of her seeing me cry. As I sat back on the couch in our living room, I heard my mother speak in a voice much more soft than the one she had previously used. _

"_He is only a young boy, and you are even younger. He would never protect you from the horrors this war may bring." She stopped briefly, giving her daughter a simple smile. "It is for your own good, so that you will be safe from this brutal and ugly war." _

_Mama's voice seemed to soften as she spoke. Her eyes held a certain amount of sadness. I realized she was going to be hurt for my departure. I sniffed and sat up straighter on the small blue couch, knowing this was going to be hard enough without me crying constantly. When my vision was once again clear, I opened my mouth to object one last time. However, Mama had already gotten up for the chair sitting opposite me and left the room. I guessed this was her way of telling me the discussion was over. _

I sat there for a few moments, too stunned to know what to think. As the realization of the situation started to sink in, I glanced over to Jaq, only to my surprise he was no longer leaning on the door frame.

As I sat in silence for what seemed like hours, questions ran through my mind at light speed. It was hard to focus on anything at the moment, so all it really was to me was a blur. Out of all the madness, one simple word kept coming back to my overcrowded head; why? It was a word that had the meaning of all your questions in one. It summed all your problems up easily. I searched through all the questions swimming inside my head, looking for the one that was the answer to me being here. I finally came up with the perfect one, but it broke my heart to even think of it. _They sent me here_ I began, _because they don't love me._

I didn't try to stop the tears from flowing. It was foolish to think that they didn't love me. Of coarse they didn't, although sometimes it seemed as though Jaq loved me more than my own mother. That was the conclusion my mind kept forcing into my thoughts. Deep down I knew they were only trying to keep me safe. _But_, I thought through the constant pounding in my head,_ I won't truly be safe until I am once again into the arms of the ones I love. And that won't be for many months to come._

My cries grew louder as my sleeping companions lay still. It was minutes before I was able to slow my beating heart and to make my breathing go from choking sobs to steady breaths. When the room was once again silent, a rapid tapping sound begun in the window across the room from my bed. Burning tears still stung my soft brown eyes as I slid further under the sheets of my twin bed. The tapping continued as I grew more and more curious as to what might be outside at this time of night. I feared of soldiers coming to clear out the school, pushing us further away from our homes and families. A cruel act that could happen anytime.

Annoyance overcame my curiosity, and I slowly swung my snow white legs over the edge of the bed, setting them softly on the oak wood floor. I lightly tiptoed over the creaking floorboards, careful as not to rouse any of the other girls. The moonlight shone through a high window onto Jaclyn, and girl from the same village and not mush older than I. She stirred suddenly at the noise of a slightly lifted board under my feet, be she failed to awaken. I breathed out a small sigh of relief, noticing I had been holding my breath, and moved on towards the window. As I approached the window, the moonlight revealed the long crack extending from one corner to the other. The school was old and rundown, so mush that no one bothered to give donations or offer to fix it, even if young ladies were going here. The window was placed high on the wall. Even if I stood on my toes, it only made me able to see over the bottom edge of the filthy window. I slid the sleeve of my oversized might gown over my small hand, and wiped a good sized area of the window clean, making it possible to see the inky darkness of night outside.

I squinted to see out the quickly fogging window, I could barely make out the ghost like face with wild black eyes peering back at me from the outside world.

**There you have it! The first chapter of my very first Fanfic! Feel free to review! **


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